Obama In Lakehurst: Keep Military Best Trained, Best Equipped For Challenges

A leaner military does not mean one stripped of the tools it needs to do its job, and President Barack Obama promised the assembled service members at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakeurst they will have what they need.

Obama flew to New Jersey Monday to address service members at the base, a prominent stop for those returning from deployments in other parts of the world, thanking the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen -- all of whom have a presence at the base -- for their service to the country, as he marked the end of combat operations in Afghanistan 13 years after they began.

“After more than a decade of war, we are marking a significant milestone,” Obama said, of the U.S. forces’ combat role in Afghanistan coming to an end. The forces that numbered nearly 180,000 between Iraq and Afghanistan will be down to 15,000 by the end of December, he said in a speech broadcast live on the internet via the White House website.

Gov. Chris Christie and Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez were in attendance at the speech but sitting off to the side.

“That doesn’t mean everything is settled,” Obama said. “Afghanistan is still a dangerous place.” A limited military presence will remain to continue training Afghan soldiers and to continue counter-terrorism efforts, he said.

But he said the efforts of the U.S. military have helped the Afghan people gain ground toward a stable future -- efforts including pushing back the Taliban and ushering in the first democratic elections in the country’s history.

“The 9-11 generation has met every challenge it has faced,” he said.

Obama also made reference to the varied roles that service members from the joint base play in military operations overseas, including the base’s in-air refueling squadrons supporting U.S. military efforts in the battle against Ebola in Liberia. That appeared to be a direct reference to concerns over plans to phase out the KC-10 aircraft, a refueling plane used by two of the three active-duty refueling squadrons at Lakehurst.

Rep. Chris Smith (R-Ocean) in a letter to the president asked him to reconsider phasing out the KC-10s, calling it a “tremendous risk” to the Air Force, according to nj.com.

Obama told the troops present that while the military ”will get leaner” now that the combat effort in Afghanistan is no longer necessary, that does not mean their support will be cut, because the world counts on the U.S. time and time again.

“Even our critics, in time of crisis, turn to us,” Obama said.

“You will continue to be the best trained, the best equipped and the best led,” he said. “Our support and commitment to you is unwavering,” noting that the spending bill passed this week by Congress included pay raises for the military and improvements on health care, “so we can care for our wounded veterans.”

Other efforts going forward will include continuing the G.I. Bill for education and helping to promote the hiring of veterans.

“We want to make sure you can enjoy the American dream you helped defend,” he said. “When it comes to our troops, we stand united.”

“What makes us the best country in the world is all of you,” he said, “your willingness to defend not just us, but to serve all over the world.

“You are the backbone of the greatest nation in the world,” Obama said. “We are proud of you and we can never thank you enough.”